On this Friday afternoon, after snow last week, the temperature in Portland is pushing towards 50, Daylight Savings Time starts next Sunday, and March 20th is the first day of Spring... time marches onward!

Before I go any further, and before you read any further, our time together THIS Sunday will begin at 4:30-6:00 pm. The memorial for the late Rev. Robert Patton will be at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, starting at 2:30 pm. 4:30-6 pm. See you then and there at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, and bring a friend.

The focus Scripture this Sunday is Exodus 20:1-17, otherwise known as the 10 Commandments or the Decalogue. Currently, as a nation, our moral compass seems a little bit out of whack, in which some of the bedrock assumptions of what is right and wrong, good and bad, seem to either be challenged daily, or are reversed: what we once thought was bad is now good, and that which was once good is now bad. When I taught Ethics at NC Central University, the first day of class always began with a talk about the very definition of the word, "ethics". According to Mirriam-Webster Dictionary, ethics is "the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation"and "the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group." The question for us as a community of faith that we will explore on Sunday is this: Are the 10 Commandments our ethics? Do we think our society sees these 10 Commandments or commands as matters of personal, private conduct, or of a public and communal morality that would indeed care, together, for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger in our midst, and honor and remember the Sabbath day weekly and keep it holy? Come and join us this Sunday as we explore the 10 Commandments in our modern world and community of faith.

***

Activities of Community of Pilgrims, and our upcoming dates:

* THIS Sunday, March 4, 2018 we will begin at 4:30-6:00 pm.

* Presbytery of the Cascades will meet at 1st Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR on Friday and Saturday, March 10-11, 2018. Meeting will begin at 1:00 pm on Friday, and convene by Sat., at 1:00 pm.

* Our 6 month anniversary is next Sunday, March 11! Let's celebrate the 6 months of gathering together as a Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, thankful for one and all, and for the support of the Presbytery of the Cascades and PCUSA's 1001 Worshiping Communities!

* Sunday, March 25th we will hopefully be going to Human Solutions and participating in a soup kitchen event that evening. Stay tuned for more news on this.

* Thursday, March 29 is Maundy Thursday, which we will gather together, place TBA;

* Sunday, April 1: Easter Sunrise Worship: Lorinda Moholt has opened up the possibility of meeting at their home for a sunrise service, including us pulling together an breakfast potluck! Let's discuss!

* Finally, thanks to Tom and Lee for opening their beautiful home to all of us to celebrate the "come back soon" party for Luke, Dayna, Olivia and Obie. What a wonderful evening of fun and love.

***

Our prayer celebrations and concerns are as follows:

1. For Olivia's teacher who lost her father last Sunday. Also for Ashley at St. Andrew's. She is leaving.

2. For Brett's new job with the United Methodist church as LGBTQ Community Adviser for the Oregon-Southern Idaho Methodist Conference.

3. For Wendy Leibrick, Jo Ann's friend, who underwent open heart surgery and is progressing okay.

4. For Dayna and family moving to New Mexico. May they arrive safely.

5. For Linda and her daughter and granddaughter. They shared a wonderful visit and slumber party. For more shared memories.

6. For Bill's sister-in-law who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

7. For Bill's cousin who got married this past year and is pregnant with child expected in July.

8. For all those who offered prayers for the Guatemalan mission.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers. Amen

***

THIS Sunday, March 4, we will meet at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church at 4:30 pm.

***

Finally, Dear March, Come In, by Emily Dickinson:

Dear March - Come in
How glad I am-
I hoped for you before-
Put down your Hat-
You must have walked-
How out of Breath you are-
Dear March, how are you, and the Rest-
Did you leave Nature well-
Oh March, Come right upstairs with me
I have so much to tell
I got your Letter, and the Birds-
The Maples never knew that you were coming-
I declare - how Red their Faces grew -
But March, forgive me-
And all those Hills you left for me to Hue-
There was no Purple suitable-
You took it all with you.
Who knocks? That April -
Lock the Door -